


In For the Kill

by Its_Just_Chemistry



Series: SinJu 30 Day OTP Challenge [1]
Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Magic, SinJu - Freeform, human drakon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-01
Updated: 2017-04-01
Packaged: 2018-10-13 20:33:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10521318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Its_Just_Chemistry/pseuds/Its_Just_Chemistry
Summary: It's 3:04AM, a half empty cup of beer is standing in front of his chip pile, and Sinbad is about to win himself the grand pot at his latest poker tournament. The only problem is the player across the table might not be playing by the rules...





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iruusu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iruusu/gifts), [midnightcalligraphy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightcalligraphy/gifts).



> Rated teen for swearing.
> 
> Prompt: Sinbad is a famous gambler who is quite skilled at poker, but what happens when he loses all of his money to a mysterious gentleman? The drama soon increases when Sinbad realizes that this new Judal might be using magic to cheat his way into the system.
> 
> Dedicated to iruusu, for the amazing SinJu she spreads to the world with some of the most incredible SinJu fics/fanart EVER. (I hope you don't mind KassAli X( sorry if you do)
> 
> Also, dedicated to midnightcaligraphy for this fantastic prompt list :D Thank you so, so much, I can't even put my gratitude into words, you are just amazing! Thank you!
> 
> AU where Judal is 27, not because I mind the age difference in SinJu, just because:  
> 1\. I don't know if 19 year-old Judal would have money to play poker  
> 2\. I like the number 27
> 
> This age change in Judal's character will probably stay in all of the fics unless I state otherwise.
> 
> By the way, I still can't write SinJu.  
> I still can't write at all.  
> I don't know what I'm doing.  
> I'm sorry.
> 
> Hope you enjoy :)

Five million dollars worth of chips, after starting with just ten thousand about three hours ago.

Sinbad had been handed a Jack and Ace of Hearts, which was...alright. He would've preferred a same-suit King with the Ace, but he supposed he'd have to work with what he had. It wasn't like he couldn't _bluff_ his way to victory.

To his left sat a man with thick, brown dreadlocks, a Cuban cigar clenched tightly between his teeth. He couldn't've been older than twenty-three, Sinbad realized, before taking note of the man- or 'kid,' standing behind him, with vibrant, yellow hair, a little of which was spiking up. But what really caught Sinbad's interest was the fact that the two were silently holding hands underneath the table.

It took Sinbad another moment to realize that the 'kid with the yellow hair,' was none other than Alibaba Saluja, the new head of Saluja Co., which probably meant that the man at the table was a close colleague of his.

At least that's what Sinbad would've thought had he not noticed the rings.

But then he paused.

It almost felt like he was intruding, being so concerned with a stranger's business, and so he turned to the woman to his right instead.

The fairly short woman with blonde hair. Her clothes were quite exposing, Sinbad noted, only, there wasn't really much _to expose._

"Keep your head in the game," Sinbad reminded himself, "you need to focus. This is the final pot, and you better be going home with it." That's right. He couldn't lose the round just because he'd been too distracted over a women's chest- or rather, her _lack_ of one.

But he found his eyes wandering nonetheless, soon landing on the man to the far right of the table with green hair. Amber eyes stared fiercely at the flop, and Sinbad could tell he'd had prior experience in the world of gambling.

But so had he.

"Call," he muttered, and Sinbad respected how well the man had maintained his poker face. After the next move it'd be the turn, and then-

"All in."

Sinbad turned his attention to the man right across from him.

His heart stopped.

"Holy shit," he thought, and he was more than certain his own poker face had just shattered onto the floor.

Crimson eyes quickly flickered to Sinbad's presence, and it was almost as if they could see straight through his facade.

Those eyes, Sinbad knew, would be the death of him.

But he craved the attention regardless.

"...call," the man to the left muttered tentatively, the cigar bobbing gently between his lips. He pushed a mass of chips into the pot, a slight feeling of tension following the action--

but then again, who _wasn't_ tense during a poker game?--

"Call." Sinbad repeated, as did the woman to his right, before both contributed their own stack to the center of the table. The man on the far end of the table however proceeded to fold, bitterly withdrawing from the round.

Though Sinbad was too busy staring at the player across from him to notice. He began to wonder if the youth was purposely avoiding eye contact just to tease him, before deciding that it would be best to divert his attention from the matter, if only for the time being.

Then the turn came into play, and for just a moment, Sinbad looked up to see if those crimson eyes were back on him.

They were.

However Sinbad's attention suddenly moved down to the man's cards, and it was then that he noticed the dark haze that was clouding around them.

Sinbad watched as the mist suddenly faded, "...what the-"

"Oi, idiot."

Sinbad's gaze shot up towards the player himself, and it was then that he had suddenly put the pieces together.

Or at least, come to a conclusion.

"You're cheating, aren't you."

"Yeah. So?" What surprised Sinbad was how carelessly the youth had responded.

"Did you just admit to cheating in front of the entire table?"

"Well, not _technically_."

Sinbad had somehow _already_ gotten lost in the conversation, "What-?"

"I mean, it's not like they can hear us or anything, so..." The youth seemed to be looking for the right words, "I'm pretty sure they won't know."

But still lost, Sinbad began to try once more for an answer. That is before it dawned on him that everyone around them was...frozen.

Their emotions were preserved untouched among their faces, from the look of concern on Saluja, to the look of disdain from the amber-eyed man on the far right.

"Don't worry they're fine. I just froze time and space, that's all..."

Sinbad's head swerved back to the youth in disbelief, "What?!"

"I'm a magician," he muttered, as if it was already _so obvious_ , "it's what I do. It's also how I've been changing my cards so I can win the pot."

Sinbad stared in awe at the two cards within the youth's hands.

An Ace and Queen of Spades. "If you'll notice, we currently have a King, a Queen, and a seven of Diamonds, as well as a Jack of Spades, right here in the turn."

Sinbad looked to where the man had placed his finger, and realized that this was true.

"Also, if you'd kindly turn your attention to the the upcoming, river card..." the man proceeded to remove the deck from the dealer's hands, flipping it over as to reveal the next card to be thrown in, "it is currently an eight of Clubs."

Sinbad noted that this was also true.

"Now, if you'd watch for a moment," the youth circled his hand carefully above the card, and to Sinbad's astonishment, what once was an eight of Clubs, was now-

"A King of Spades," Sinbad murmured, clearly amazed by what it was he'd just witnessed.

"Exactly," the magician grinned, "I'm Judal, in case you were interested."

"I was..." Sinbad blushed, "I-I mean, I _am_...wait, no, um-"

And at this, Judal chuckled. "You're funny. Speaking of funny, you'd better fold while you still can. Cut your losses and whatnot."

There was a moment of silence between the two, a moment where Sinbad felt the need to retort, to say something about his expertise in poker and his many years of experience, before frowning in realization that the man in front of him currently had a Royal Flush as his hand, "Oh...yeah..."

"Hey, you've still got about three million in your pile. If it makes you feel any better, I only shoved two million into the pot, so you should be ok."

"Good point," Sinbad muttered, though he was still disappointed to know he'd just lost two million dollars for nothing.

Judal took note of his demeanor, but chose to ignore it as he placed the deck back into the dealer's hands. "You know, I haven't been using magic until now, so it's not like I've been cheating the _whole_ way through."

"It's still cheating."

"Yeah, I know. But hey, even though I am cheating, I'm still not going home with the full pot."

Sinbad looked to Judal, confused, "Why not?"

"Because 'lover boy' over there has got a Jack and an Ace of Spades." Judal motioned to the man to Sinbad's left.

His eyes widened in shock, "You mean you've both got a Royal Flush as your top hand?!"

Judal grinned wider, "Pretty neat, huh."

"Of course," Sinbad stated, "two players, _both_ with the _top hand_ in poker...despite the fact that you cheated, of course."

The two chuckled in unison.

"Well, I suggest we finish this then, huh. After all, I do still want to head home with at least my share of the pot."

Sinbad nodded, "Alright."

And the two each resumed a long forgotten poker face, before the people around them suddenly sprang back to life.

But Sinbad could still see the hint of excitement within Judal's eyes, as the river card was placed smack down onto the table.


End file.
